Opportunity Overview
Durham Public Schools (DPS), North Carolina has issued RFP 179-2627-282-SCH_PSYCH for qualified vendors to provide in-person School Psychology services. The procurement is intended to address staffing shortages and ensure students with Individualized Education Programs receive timely, legally compliant services under IDEA, North Carolina policies, and DPS procedures. DPS states that it intends to make awards to multiple vendors based on qualifications, capacity, and alignment with district needs.
Contract Value and Term
The RFP does not state a guaranteed contract ceiling or award value. Vendors must submit pricing through Attachment C, and proposed pricing must cover the complete cost of performance. Atlas does not use third-party estimated contract values as authoritative. The initial contract term is three years, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year and continuing through the end of 2028-2029, with up to two optional one-year renewals. DPS may also extend a contract for up to 180 days in increments not exceeding 90 days.
Deadline and Submission
Sealed proposals must be physically received by September 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The RFP uses EST terminology for procurement times; Atlas preserves that source terminology rather than silently converting it. The public bid opening is scheduled for 2:00 PM the same day. The distinction matters because the eVP summary displays the 2:00 PM opening time, while the controlling RFP states that proposals must be received by 1:00 PM.
Electronic, email, fax, telephone, and telegraphic proposals are not accepted. Vendors must submit three hard copies and one flash-drive copy, with one hard copy marked original. The sealed package must identify the vendor, RFP number, and due date and be delivered to Durham Public Schools, Purchasing Department, Attn: Amy Morris, 511 Cleveland Street, Durham, NC 27701. Regardless of carrier, the package must physically arrive in the Purchasing Department by the proposal deadline.
Scope of Services
Contracted school psychologists will conduct psychoeducational evaluations and reevaluations; score and interpret assessments and rating scales; complete observations and reports; enter assessment information into ECATS; participate in IEP team meetings, collaborative planning, school-based student-support and MTSS meetings; conduct safety and threat assessments when assigned; engage with school staff, students, and families; attend monthly school psychology department PLCs; and participate in functional behavioral assessment and behavior intervention planning as needed.
Each assigned provider is expected to work approximately 37.5 hours per week, with approximately 20-25 hours devoted to evaluations. Assignments may involve one or multiple DPS sites. All services must be delivered in person at DPS school sites. Virtual or remote services are not accepted.
Eligibility and Vendor Qualifications
The solicitation is open to qualified traditional staffing agencies and managed-service providers; managed-service providers may use subcontractors, but the primary vendor remains responsible for contract performance. All personnel assigned to DPS must hold active North Carolina licensure through either the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction or the North Carolina Psychology Board and satisfy the qualified-personnel requirements under 34 CFR 300.156(b) and corresponding NCDPI standards.
Vendors must demonstrate relevant experience with clients of comparable size or complexity, provide qualified professional staff, document financial stability, and provide at least three references for similar services. DPS-required background checks apply to all assigned personnel. Providers serving children under age five must also satisfy the applicable North Carolina DCDEE Criminal Background Check requirement.
Required Proposal Materials
The package must include a cover letter; a title page identifying the vendor, authorized representative, and proposal number; the completed and signed RFP execution pages; the proposal response; Attachment C pricing; Attachment D Certification of Financial Condition; at least three comparable references; resumes or qualifications for proposed professional staff; and signed acknowledgment/receipt pages for any addenda when required. The execution materials also contain certifications concerning collusion, eligibility, debarment/suspension, E-Verify, and gift restrictions. Proprietary material must be handled in accordance with the RFP instructions.
Insurance and Payment
Required insurance includes workers’ compensation as required by North Carolina law plus employer’s liability of at least $500,000, commercial general liability with a $1 million combined single limit, and the automobile liability coverages stated in the RFP. Payment terms are generally Net 30 after receipt of a correct invoice and approval by DPS.
Match / Cost Share and Allowable Costs
This is a service procurement, not a grant, so a grant-style non-Federal match or cost share is not applicable. Vendor pricing must include the total cost of complete performance. The RFP states that DPS may use various funding sources, including Federal funds, and that applicable Federal requirements will govern when Federal funding is used.
Questions, Contacts, and Amendments
Written questions were due August 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time to Dist.Purchasing@dpsnc.net, with the subject line specified in the RFP. DPS’s schedule anticipated posting answers by August 31, 2026 through an eVP addendum. The public read-only eVP interface currently confirms the solicitation is Open, but its attachment/addenda pane is not accessible in Atlas’s read-only session. A fresh search did not surface a separately indexed addendum. Atlas therefore does not assert that no amendment exists; bidders must check the authenticated/live eVP record and acknowledge every applicable addendum before submitting.
Procurement contact: Amy Morris, Durham Public Schools Purchasing Department. The RFP directs procurement questions to Dist.Purchasing@dpsnc.net.
Atlas Fit Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 83/100. This is a currently open, multi-year, multiple-award North Carolina K-12 behavioral-health/special-education procurement with a concrete staffing need, clear licensure requirements, and a defined submission package. The score is moderated by the absence of an authoritative contract ceiling, the short remaining response window, and the requirement for substantial in-person licensed school-psychology staffing capacity.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The solicitation expressly requires all school psychology services to be delivered in person and states that virtual or remote services are not accepted. The required work is specialized school psychology, psychoeducational evaluation, IEP/MTSS participation, and behavioral/safety assessment rather than remote physical examination or connected diagnostic care. Atlas does not force an N9+ role where the solicitation does not support one.
Dr. Miltie / QC Healthcare direct-vendor assessment: Atlas does not advance Dr. Miltie/QC Healthcare as a direct bidder. Available records do not establish the required in-person North Carolina school-psychologist staffing bench, school-psychology past performance, licensure coverage, and comparable references necessary for a credible response. No applicant-controlled qualifications are inferred or fabricated.
Realistic Organizations to Evaluate
Soliant and ProCare Therapy are realistic vendor types to evaluate because each publicly advertises or places contract school psychologists in North Carolina and operates in school staffing. Their inclusion here is not a representation that either has reviewed this RFP, intends to bid, or satisfies every DPS requirement. Any bidder must independently confirm the required NC licenses, in-person capacity, references, financial condition, background-check processes, insurance, and complete proposal package.
Next Action
Qualified staffing vendors should immediately retrieve the live eVP package, verify all current addenda, confirm the 1:00 PM proposal-receipt deadline rather than relying on the 2:00 PM public-opening time shown in summary records, assemble the required hard-copy and flash-drive package, confirm NC licensure and background-check readiness for all proposed personnel, and ensure every required execution page, pricing form, financial certification, reference, resume, and addendum acknowledgment is included.
Official eVP record: North Carolina eVP — 179-2627-282-SCH_PSYCH. Controlling bid advertisement: Durham Public Schools RFP 179-2627-282-SCH_PSYCH.